Iraqi sources quoted the deputy governor of Karbala, Ali al-Mayali, as saying that more than 10 million pilgrims have traveled to the province over the past days to attend the Arbaeen mourning rituals.
Arbaeen, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, comes 40 days after Ashura, the martyrdom anniversary of the third Shiite Imam, Imam Hussein (AS).
Each year, a huge crowd of Shiites flock to Karbala, where the holy shrine of Imam Hussein (AS) is located, to perform mourning rites.